BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Police are investigating three separate shootings that occurred over the weekend in Belleville, including one that injured a 14-year-old.
According to the Belleville Police Department, the incidents do not appear to be related.
“The men and women of the Belleville Police Department are committed to public safety in this community. This was a very difficult weekend for Belleville," Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant said in a statement. Our resolve to make our town a safe and prosperous community has never been stronger. We appreciate all of the citizens who came forward to assist us in these investigations.”
Police responded Saturday at 1:21 p.m. to the first shooting on South 11th Street. The victim, a 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg, told police he was walking in the area when he heard gunshots and saw two men wearing all black, with one wearing a mask. The victim ran to a nearby home, where he discovered he'd been shot. He was treated at a St. Louis hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives are still working with the victim to gather more information and corroborate his version of events.
Later that day, police responded at 7:24 p.m. to a double shooting near Southside Park. They found a 14-year-old boy shot in the arm and chest at the intersection of S. 5th and Polk streets.
Nearby, 22-year-old Demarco Davis, of East St. Louis, was found shot in a vehicle on South 6th Street. He was pronounced dead at a St. Louis hospital.
A 16-year-old boy was found near the scene and taken into custody. According to a preliminary investigation, police believe Davis and the two teens exchanged gunfire in connection with a drug transaction. The 16-year-old was being held at the Juvenile Detention Center as of Monday.
Police responded to the third shooting on Garnette Drive early Monday morning, shortly after midnight. The victim told police her husband had shot her. She was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
A Freeburg officer located the man and took him into custody. He remained at the Belleville Police Department and had not been formally charged as of Monday.
All three shootings remain under investigation. Police are still seeking suspects in the South 11th Street shooting; they are not seeking additional suspects in the other cases.
“It is extremely sad that the actions of a few individuals tend to reflect so negatively on our community as a whole," Mayor Patty Gregory said in a statement shared by Belleville police. "I would like to thank the men and women of our Belleville Police Department for their hard work and commitment in bringing those responsible for these senseless crimes to justice.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Belleville police at 618-234-1212 or CrimeStoppers at -314-725-8477.